GDHQNFL14_StLouisRams1-2

St Louis Rams Gameday HQ

NFC WEST
ST. LOUIS
2014 STRENGTHS:
• Offensive line, defensive line, coaching
Rams Offense
Sam Bradford is on the IR after retearing his left ACL, so
offensive production will fall on the shoulders of Shaun Hill.
Hill has thrown just 16 passes since 2010 when he coverd for
injured Matthew Stafford as the Detroit Lions starting QB.
Zac Stacy is the running back people know only because
he carries the ball more than all the other runners combined,
though does so at less than four yards per carry.
Tavon Austin is the next great hope on a receiving corps
that normally takes other teams’ discards and tries to make
something out of them. With this type of typical game plan,
the Rams have not had a winning season since 2003. But
if any head coach can take a talent-deprived, chemistrydepleted
team back to the playoffs, it is third-year Rams head
coach Jeff Fisher, who once transformed Tennessee from an
8-8/7-9 franchise their first five years together into a six-time
playoff team in his last dozen years there, garnering 10-to-13
wins six times.
If he is indeed building something in St. Louis, it is an everimproving
O-line. The Rams’ offensive line ranked 12th while
running and 14th when passing in 2013, giving St. Louis’ skilled
positioned players belief that a foundation is indeed in place.
Now if only some of these prospects started delivering on their
potential. Bradford (26 years old), Stacy (23) and Austin (23) are
making doubters out of most. Then again, one thing the experts
don’t worry much about is the offensive line, where the left side
is manned by four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long and No.
two pick in the 2014 NFL Draft Greg Robinson, and the right
side is controlled well by Joe Barksdale and Rodger Saffold. The
house may look boring, but at least the foundation is solid.
Offensive Player to Watch
Watch Jake Long. If he is healthy, it is tough to find a
better left tackle in the game. In 2013, he wasn’t healthy. He
was still Pro Bowl material, just not All-Pro left tackle like he
was in 2010. That’s what happens when you play through a
2014 WEAKNESSES:
• Conservative play-calling, lack of big-play
offense, little continuity on roster
RAMS
recovering ACL/MCL injury, as he did in 2013. For insurance,
the Rams made left guard Greg Robinson the No. 2 pick in the
2014 NFL Draft, ready to move the rookie over should Long
need to ever rest and recover. If Long is healthy and Robinson,
an All-American left tackle at Auburn, quickly learns his new
position, St. Louis will have one heckuva left side to run on.
Which, of course, will lead to better numbers than last year
(4.11 yards-per-carry on the left end and 4.14 around left
tackle—ranking 11th in the NFL in both categories).
Rams Defense
Defensive end Robert Quinn enjoyed one of the finest
seasons an NFL defensive lineman has enjoyed in years, taking
home Defensive Player of the Year honors as a reward for his
hard work. But what made the Rams D-line as special as their
O-line was that it wasn’t just Quinn putting in work. Fellow
defensive ends Chris Long (yes, Howie’s son) and William Hayes
registered 8.5 sacks and 5.0 sacks, respectively, while defensive
tackles Michael Brockford and Kendall Langford netted 5.5
and 5.0 sacks.
Their line presence alone helped the Rams rank fifth as
a defensive line against the run—allowing only 51 percent
conversion on 3rd/4th and 2 or less (ranked fourth), stuffing 27
percent of the runners behind the line of scrimmage (ranked
second)—not to mention, first against the pass, according to
Football Outsiders.
As good as the Rams were on the D-line, they ranked 11th
collectively as a team defense—third against the rush and
15th against the pass. That is why St. Louis has been trying
to upgrade its linebacker and secondary options. Gambling
cornerback Janoris Jenkins is one risky cover guy, while his
rookie teammate and fellow cornerback LaMarcus Joyner may
get a few starts this year.
Then, there’s always hope they can squeeze another year
out of linebacker James Laurinitis or overcome a disappointing
season and see linebacker Alex Ogletree have a better 2014.